1. End User's Guide
  2. Using Workflows
  3. Working with Workflows

6.2 Working with Workflows

View workflow instances in the workflow console. Use the workflow details page to act on specific workflow instances.

Your ability to perform operations on workflows depends on the role you have in the workflow, the state the workflow is in, and the way the specific application is configured.

In general, accessing the Workflow Console page gives you a list of all the workflows you can participate in. Clicking on a specific workflow to get the Workflow Details page gives you a list of actions you can take with that workflow. If a Workflow Dashboard page is configured for your application, the dashboard contains analytics for the workflow. For more on these pages, see About the Workflow Console, Workflow Details, and Workflow Dashboard.

If a developer updates your application, any running workflow instances automatically become Suspended, and must be resumed or terminated by a workflow administrator.

Parent topic: Using Workflows

6.2.1 Suspending a Workflow

Suspend a workflow by clicking Suspend on the workflow details page.

Suspending a workflow pauses the execution of a running (active) workflow.
You must be the Workflow Administrator to suspend a workflow.
  1. Open the application.
  2. Open the appropriate Workflow Console. The name of the page varies depending on the application, but the report context is Admin Workflows.
  3. Locate the workflow you want to suspend, and click on the workflow name to open the workflow details page.
  4. Click Suspend to suspend the workflow.
The workflow instance suspends, and no further operations are possible. You must resume the workflow in order for the workflow to continue.

Parent topic: Working with Workflows

6.2.2 Resuming a Workflow

Resume a workflow by clicking Resume on the workflow details page.

Resuming a workflow resumes the execution of a suspended workflow.
You must be the Workflow Administrator to resume a workflow. You can only resume suspended workflows.
  1. Open the application.
  2. Open the appropriate Workflow Console. The name of the page varies depending on the application, but the report context is Admin Workflows.
  3. Locate the workflow you want to resume, and click on the workflow name to open the workflow details page.
  4. Click Resume to resume the workflow.
The workflow instance resumes at the same activity where it was suspended unless a developer configures the workflow for additional functionality. Resuming the workflow brings it back to an active state.

Tip:

For more information on developer options for enhancing the Resume functionality, see Resuming Suspended Workflows in Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide.

Parent topic: Working with Workflows

6.2.3 Terminating a Workflow

Cancel a workflow by clicking Terminate on the workflow details page.

Terminating a workflow cancels the workflow.
You must be the Workflow Owner, Workflow Administrator, or Workflow Initiator to terminate a workflow. You can terminate a workflow instance regardless of whether it is active, suspended, or faulted.
  1. Open the application.
  2. Open the appropriate Workflow Console. The name of the page varies depending on the application, but depending on your role, the report context is Initiated by Me, My Workflows, or Admin Workflows.
  3. Locate the workflow you want to terminate, and click on the workflow name to open the workflow details page.

    Tip:

    You can also terminate a workflow from the Workflow Console by clicking Terminate.
  4. Click Terminate to cancel the workflow.
    If the workflow was waiting on an action or approval task activity, the task is also canceled. If the workflow was waiting on a custom Process Type Plugin activity, the termination function defined for that process is executed. To learn more about how developers can configure termination functions for process type plugins, see Adding a Custom Process Type Plugin in Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide.
    Terminating a workflow that was invoked from another workflow also terminates the parent workflow if the parent workflow is configured to wait for the current workflow to complete.
The workflow instance is canceled. There are no further operations possible for this workflow instance.

Parent topic: Working with Workflows

6.2.4 Retrying a Workflow

Retry a workflow by clicking Retry on the workflow details page.

When a workflow instance faults, you can retry the workflow.
You must be the Workflow Owner or Workflow Administrator to retry a workflow.
  1. Open the application.
  2. Open the appropriate Workflow Console. The name of the page varies depending on the application, but depending on your role, the report context could be My Workflows or Admin Workflows.
  3. Locate the workflow you want to retry, and click on the workflow name to open the workflow details page.
  4. Click Retry to retry the workflow.
The workflow instance attempts to run again by retrying the faulted activity.

Tip:

If the faulted workflow was invoked from a parent workflow, the behavior defined in the parent workflow determines the retry point. The invoked workflow may be terminated and started again from the beginning, or the invoked workflow may be retried from the faulted activity.

Parent topic: Working with Workflows

6.2.5 Updating Workflow Variables

Update workflow variables with the Edit link in the workflow details page.

Updating a workflow variable updates the value of a workflow variable in a running workflow instance.
You must be a Workflow Administrator to update workflow variables.

Note:

If the workflow variable is a CLOB datatype and the value exceeds the VARCHAR2 limit, use the apex_workflow.update_variables() API instead of the details page.
  1. Open the application.
  2. Open the appropriate Workflow Console. The name of the page varies depending on the application, but the report context is Admin Workflows.
  3. Locate the workflow you want to retry, and click on the workflow name to open the workflow details page.
  4. Click the dropdown arrow on Variables to open the variables section.
    The variables section opens, and displays all workflow variables for the workflow instance.
  5. Click Edit next to a variable.
  6. Edit the variable, and click Apply Changes.
The workflow variable updates. If the workflow is suspended or faulted, you can resume or retry the workflow with the updated workflow variable. For more information, see Resuming a Workflow or Retrying a Workflow.

Parent topic: Working with Workflows

6.2.6 Viewing the Workflow Diagram

View a visual representation of the workflow instance in the workflow details page.

  1. Open the application.
  2. Open the appropriate Workflow Console, and then select a workflow instance.
    The workflow diagram displays. If the workflow diagram is not visible, contact your application developer.
  3. To navigate around the diagram:
    • Click and hold the diagram, and then drag to change the visible area.
    • Use the arrow keys.
  4. To change the zoom level:
    • Click the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons in the toolbar.
    • Use Ctrl+Plus sign to zoom in, Ctrl+Minus sign to zoom out, and Ctrl+0 to reset the zoom level.
  5. To toggle the navigator, click Navigator.
    The navigator button may not be visible depending on the specific configuration of your application.

Parent topic: Working with Workflows

6.2.7 Viewing the Workflow Audit History

View the audit history of a workflow by expanding the History section in the workflow details page.

The workflow history is a list of the actions for a workflow instance.
  1. Open the application.
  2. Open the appropriate Workflow Console. The name of the page varies depending on the application, but depending on your role, the report context could be Initiated by Me, My Workflows or Admin Workflows.
  3. Locate the workflow and click on the workflow name to open the workflow details page.
  4. Click the dropdown arrow on History to open the history section.
The workflow audit history displays.

Parent topic: Working with Workflows

6.2.8 Viewing the Activity Audit History

View the audit history of a workflow activity by clicking on the activity in the workflow details page.

The activity audit history is an audit history for specific actions in a workflow instance.
  1. Open the application.
  2. Open the appropriate Workflow Console. The name of the page varies depending on the application, but depending on your role, the report context could be Initiated by Me, My Workflows or Admin Workflows.
  3. Locate the workflow and click on the workflow name to open the workflow details page.
  4. Click the specific activity you are interested in the Activities section.
    For Invoke Workflow activities, clicking on the activity opens the details page of the invoked workflow. Click To Parent Workflow to navigate back to the details parent of the parent workflow.
The activity's audit history displays.

Parent topic: Working with Workflows